A Chance at Subversion
by A Resistor
Summary: *Genocide and Pacifist spoilers ahead* After leaving the underground in ruin, you resisted Chara's temptations. The question is, why is everything so different this time around?
1. Death's Eve

Darkness. Unending black shadows cast in every direction, their faint whispers still ring in your ears. How long had it been? It only felt like two minutes had passed since you arrived. The sins were no longer crawling on your back. They moved to something else. Something that wasn't even human.

How did you get here? And where were Mom, Sans, Papyrus and the others? This had to be a dream, just a figment of your shattered mind. Right?

" _Wrong."_

A Creature was staring at you from the were wearing a green and yellow striped sweater, with the eyes of the Devil himself. Yet they had clear skin, and one of the most innocent smiles you've ever seen.

" _You should know that there's always something hidden beneath that innocent exterior. How else could you have caused this?"_ The Thing lurched forward, cocking its head to the side on a seemingly impossible angle. What did it mean?

" _How peculiar. You don't even remember."_ Its eyes seemingly melted away, leaving two gaping holes as dark as your environment. " _Or are you just repressing it? Too cowardly to face what you've done?"_ The Figure turned away, obscuring its grotesque face. Why was its hair so similar to yours?

" _It doesn't matter. Because the truth is, I didn't do this. I just gave you a little push. Isn't it wonderful to imagine that there's something like me inside everyone?"_

You didn't understand.

" _You summoned me. Unintentionally, of course. Someone like you would never summon a demon purposely. Back in the underground, you fell onto my grave. Disturbed me."_

It turned back to look at you. Its face appeared melted like hot wax, nose, eyes, mouth all fused together and with skin. " _You released me by killing that Whimsun. Everything that you attack, every bit of damage you do. That's me. Why do you think that you were LV 1? That implies that you hurt something before going there. The moment you touch something and intend violence… That's me. I am the demon that comes when you call its name. 'Chara'. The true name. Your determination let me feed off of every creature in existence. There's only one way you're getting out of this."_ The Stranger stepped forward, towards you.

" _Give me your soul, and I'll let you reset. Put everything back the way it was. I'll even let you do things your way. You'll get another attempt to save that spineless goat boy again."_

You shook your head, and clenched your fists. There was no redemption for either of you.

" _No? I must say, I'm disappointed. But still…"_ Chara twirled the knife around in its hand, examining the glowing steel. " _I wonder how much EXP you're worth. I guess we'll find out."_ It bolted towards you, knife in reverse grip. Its face had reassembled, leaving its hair covering those demonic eyes.

 _Swing!_

 _ **9999999999999999999999**_

1/20 HP

Chara grinned, twirling their locket around. " _I'm actually impressed. That's your determination. Somehow, you still have more than me. Well, it's your turn. Don't keep me waiting."_

A soul appeared, opposite yours. Is it pulsing?

What do you do?

*FIGHT *ACT *ITEM *MERCY

*ACT

*CHECK

Chara. 99 ATK 99 DEF

Why bother? You're delaying your death, Frisk.

" _You should know enough about me by now. What a waste of a turn. FIGHT BACK!"_ Chara screamed into the great empty.

Suddenly, the box in which your soul was contained smashed. A knife came flying towards it. You dodged with ease.

*Spare

" _Are you braindead? You think that after all of this, I''ll show MERCY?"_

Chara will never spare you.

It slashes at your heart.

Nothing happened.

" _What?"_

As long as you stay determined, Chara can't control you anymore.

*ACT

*Talk

You tell Chara that it isn't too late to fix everything.

" _Look around you. Everyone you love, everyone you care about is dead. This world is gone, and you can't bring it back."_

Chara looks uncomfortable.

Hands wrap around your soul, and squeeze tightly. It feels like you're being strangled, body slowly being crushed.

" _Give in. Even that nihilistic corpse of a skeleton did eventually."_

Sans?

Something resonated in your soul, forcing Chara's hands away. You felt your sins wash away.

You snap your fingers, and suddenly Chara's imitation of a soul is enveloped in blue. " _Oh, you sly child."_ It quipped, waggling its finger at you. " _I fought him more times than I care to admit to. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him about his deceased brother. I know everything that you can possibly throw at me. If only there were a way you could reset."_

Papyrus?

Something else resonated inside your soul. You knew the solution. You saw Chara through an orange and blue tint.

Grabbing Chara's soul, you slammed it violently against an onslaught of bones. It split in half.

But it refused.

" _Your eyes... If only you remembered how you cut down Asgore and Toriel."_

Toriel?

Asgore?

More resonating. You could feel the heat of a butterscotch and cinnamon pie. Chara's battle box became enveloped in fire infused bones. Its soul cracked once more, quickly refusing.

" _Oh. I see what you did. I must admit, you're smarter than I gave you credit for. You collected the remains of their souls after I destroyed them, using their fragments to give you power."_ Chara cackled maniacally, flinging a rain of knives down upon your soul. You weaved between them, undeterred.

" _I am a GOD. WHO ARE YOU TO STAND IN MY WAY?"_

This was your chance. You summoned up every last bit of your determination, and created a miracle.

" **Do you think even the worst person can change?"**

" **S-still! You can do a little better!"**

" **Do not be afraid, my child."**

" **I keep you around because I care about you, Chara!"**

Even in the plethora of voices, Chara heard its brother's. Even Chara was once alive. Their expression was unreadable. " _Asriel…"_

That moment of uncertainty, Chara's influence wavered, if only for a moment.

It was all you needed.

You closed your eyes, wanting to take everything back.

The world around you finally faded from existence, leaving behind a better one.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, I'd love some constructive criticism.


	2. Genesis

A/N: Thank you to everyone who showed their support this early on! I certainly wasn't expecting a reception this warm. As always, if you like this story so far, please leave a review. It all helps.

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You woke up groggily, your head spinning. After a few moments, you stood up and surveyed your surroundings. That dirt track that winded up the mountain was behind you, and the great hole which you slipped into was only a few feet away. How come you ended up here? And why didn't you feel Chara's presence? They didn't stop you after you reset, never spoke. It was as if you'd finally been exorcised. And you were back to LV 1.

Instead of pondering on what could have happened to them, you took the plunge back down into the underground. Voluntarily, this time. There were always the flowers to break your fall. You felt the wind rushing past you, leaving you breathless. Your stomach curled, until you finally felt the soft embrace of the golden flowers. You felt the wind get knocked out of you from the impact. Turns out, flowers aren't the best safety net. You brushed the yellow petals from your sweater, and waited.

Part of you expected to hear Chara's voice after disturbing their grave again. Everything was silent, save the occasional bird chirping above. You passed under the arch, leading to the entrance of the ruins. Flowey should have been here. Or Toriel. This was very different. You stood around for a while, unsure of how to proceed. Things just seemed… Off. Soon enough, a figure appeared at the ruins' main door. They shouted over to you.

"Hey! A-are you okay?" The voice sounded familiar, but they were too far away to properly make out. You ran towards the room, to be greeted with an unexpected sight.

The one you tried so hard to save.

Asriel Dreemurr.

Upon recognising him, you did the only thing you wanted to do. You wrapped your arms around him, and squeezed him tightly to you, never wanting to let go. "Ack! Howdy! W-who are you?" He exclaimed, feeling constricted from your overenthusiasm. He didn't recognise you? It's you, Frisk!

"Frisk, huh? That's a nice name… My name's Asriel!" He chirped as you pulled away from him. He rubbed his arm awkwardly. "You're the first human I've ever seen. What's the surface like?"

First human? You interrupt him, asking if he knew somebody called Chara.

"Chara? Can't say I've heard anyone called that before. Funny name!" He laughed. You told him of the overworld, how humans came together to form massive cities and technological marvels. "That sounds really neat. My mom would probably love to talk to you, she runs this **huge** library in New Home."

Mom? Did that mean that everyone was alive? You asked him if any monsters lived in Home.

"A few, but we all moved to New Home, next to the barrier. King Dad says that we'll find a way out of here eventually. We all just have to stay determined. Like the humans, right?" He flashed you a smile, his fluffy ears flapping around. It made your heart melt. Suddenly, a loud ringing sound came from Asriel. His ears twitched, and he reaches into his back pocket. He fished out an old looking phone. Upon flipping it open, he held it to his ear and spoke. "Hi, mom. Yeah, I'm at the ruins. Well, I found a human. I don't really know if they're a boy or girl, they could be either."

You shrugged your shoulders at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll be home soon. Bye!" He pressed the red button, and slipped the device back into his pocket. "So, since you're lost, do you wanna come with me to see King Dad?" The goat boy glanced towards you. You nodded, and followed him in stride through the ruins. You probably knew the underground as well as him by now, but it always helped to have a guide in an unfamiliar time.

All you wanted was to spend time with him. You lost track of how many times you reset, trying to save him. Ironic that it took Chara's intervention to go back far enough to see him before he became Flowey. Your heart sank. Would he still become that abomination, even if you tried to stop it? No, no, of course not. Chara wasn't there. They were the reason why everything ended up the way they did. The young boy chatted away on every topic from butterscotch pie, to the practical household uses for snails. He really did take after Mom. He wasn't quite as well built as his father. If anything, he looked rather scrawny. "So, Frisk, uh… How did you know about Home and New Home? I mean, we haven't had humans down here." He questioned, as you strolled through Snowdin Forest. You lied to him, that you found a book in the ruins before he arrived. He didn't look convinced. But it was better than telling him the truth. It would have been too much for him to bear. Before long, the two of you ended up in Snowdin Town. Apparently, it hadn't changed much. Grillby's was still there, though it looked a lot cleaner and new.

As you passed Papyrus's house, a hand squeezed your shoulder, stopping you in your tracks. "hey kid. you new around here?" That voice. It was unmistakable.

Luckily, your best friend intervened. "Howdy Sans! How's the lab stuff going?"

Sans adjusted the buttons on his lab coat, unbuttoning it to reveal his blue hoodie underneath. "good to see ya, Prince Dreemurr. i guess you could say its been… Bonely!" He winked at you, with his left eye. You'd heard many of his puns before, but Asriel found it hilarious. He always did like a good joke. Sans leaned back against the door of his house, and looked at you. "so, whos the human?" You couldn't decipher his tone of voice. At least his eyes were still there.

"This? Oh, they're Frisk! They fell into the ruins, I found them there."

Sans tilted his head back, his eyes rolling from view, leaving empty sockets. "that so? you ever heard of these little things called timeline anomalies?"

You gulped subconsciously and shook your head. His stare scrutinised you. "You should keep an eyesocket out for them. I hear they're sadistic little things." That was his judgement voice. It never failed to scare you senseless. Did he remember what Chara did? "anyway, my breaks up. see ya later kids, gaster needs me in there."

And with that, he disappeared behind the house.

Asriel blinked, and shook his head. "Let's just keep going, shall we?" You gestured him to lead on, towards the Hotlands.

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A/N: Sorry for a rather short chapter, but I was quite eager to get it out.


	3. Old Faces

A/N: Another chapter for you guys, enjoy!

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Waterfall was a truly peaceful place. The running water was the only sound that filled your ears, along with the sight of cascading water jets. You remembered that Napstablook lived here. The shy ghost always treated you nicely, they didn't even intend to spill their ectoplasmic tears on you. You wondered what happened to them, seeing as Chara couldn't actually kill them. Were they snuffed out like the rest?

You shook those thoughts from your mind. Things were going to be different now. You'd find a way to save everything this time.

"Hey, Frisk. Do you hear that?" Asriel asked you, as he held up his hand, gesturing you to stop.

Straining your ears, you made out two voices having a conversation.

" _But Blooky! Don't you think we should move to greener pastures? Nobody wants to come snail racing any more."_

" _But… We've ran this farm for years…"_

" _Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. We could be stars! Your spooktunes and my glamour could be the perfect duo!"_

" _I don't know…"_

You recognised one of the voices. But who was the other? You strolled past the small pond, towards two odd yet familiar houses. "Hey, wait up!" Your friend yelled.

There was a faint smell of ectoplasm in the air. It smelled like old glue. You were met with the sight of two ghosts; one white, and one pink, leaving behind a trail of sparkling lights. They turned towards and and drifted over, while speaking. " _Welcome to Blook Family Farm… I'm Napstablook, and this is my cousin, Mettablook…"_

The pink ghost continued. " _Why hello, darlings! You both look so-"_ Mettablook paused, noticing the Prince. " _Prince Asriel! What brings you to our fabulous abode, darling?"_

Asriel blushed slightly, moving to stand next to you. "Howdy! We were just passing through to New Home."

Napstablook stirred uncomfortably, tears welled up in their eyes. " _Oh no….. Prince Asriel came to visit… And we didn't even get dressed…"_

Asriel raised an eyebrow, matching your expression. "It's no problem, really. You said this is a farm, right? What do you guys farm?" The boy questioned Mettablook, as Napstablook floated over to you.

" _Hello… You must be young… That striped sweater is nice… Would you like to listen to some spooktunes?"_

You nodded eagerly, and told them your name.

" _Frisk? That's a nice name… Can I show you something?"_ You had an idea of what it was. Suddenly, the tears in their eyes drifted upwards, slowly forming an ectoplasmic top hat. " _I call it… Dapperblook. Do you like it…?"_

You winked at Napstablook, and flashed them a cheeky smile.

" _I'd only weigh you down… But thank you. You're very nice… Let me go and get my spooky songs…"_ The ghost floated inside the left hand house, and returned with a pair of wireless headphones. You asked them how they were wireless. " _They use Spooktooth to pair…"_ You placed the headphones on your head, and were met with a euphoric ambient remix of a classic spook. You felt like you understood ghosts a little better. " _That ambience… It feels like your whole body is being spooked… Wooooo…"_ Napstablook's eyes rolled back, and they shuddered gently. You agreed with them, and decided to lay down on the ground.

Napstablook quickly joined you. " _You like to just lay down too…? You seem so familiar… Oh well…"_ Did Napstablook remember the other timelines?

You were once again met by the unending cosmos, stars and planets swirling around you. You found yourself floating, weightless and powerless, in the great unknown. Until you were tapped by an annoying goat. "Come on Frisk, get up! You've been out for half an hour!" He exclaimed, flustered at your unresponsive face. "I talked to Mettablook for a while, they seemed… Nice. Can you believe that all they want is a great pair of legs? Golly, I wish I could sing like that." Asriel grabbed your arm, and pulled you up. You told Asriel about Napstablook, and how cool they were. He continued talking about Mettablook. "They said that this is a snail farm, and that they do snail racing! Wanna race?" Asriel asked you excitedly. The moment you nodded, he grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the track.

The ghost cousins hovered near the snail track, waiting for the two of you. " _Normally it's 10G to race… But since you're both nice… We decided you can race for free."_ Napstablook moaned, with their emphasis on every last word of each sentence.

"Thank you!" Asriel shouted, and picked out a yellow snail. "I'll call him… Thumper."

You chose the red snail, and named it.

" _3...2...1… Go…"_ Napstablook announced.

The snails moved at breakneck pace… If that pace was a mile a decade.

You gently told your snail you believed in him. He moved a little faster.

Asriel cheered, shouting words of encouragement to Thumper.

" _It's neck and neck! Anybody could win!"_ Mettablook exclaimed.

It was such a close one… But in the end, your snail surpassed his.

"Aww man! I was so close!" Asriel threw his arms around in disbelief, clearly upset that he lost.

" _Oh, yes!"_ Mettablook shouted.

Suddenly, it hit you. Mettablook became Mettaton! The glamour, the desire for legs, the journals you found in their house in previous timelines. It all added up. You had your suspicions, but now they were practically proven.

You patted Asriel's shoulder condescendingly, he was quite the sore loser. "Better luck next time, I guess. We should probably get going. Mom and dad are waiting for us, and we're gonna be late enough as it is."

You waved goodbye to the Blooks, and followed Asriel into the large cave. The lava was much higher than you remembered, wooden bridges connected the islands, where previously steam vents propelled you across. Both methods of crossing were equally as dangerous. Being propelled through the air was much more fun than this, however. This was just terrifying. The bridge shook under the two of you, feeling like it could snap at any moment. The rope acting as a handhold felt taut; you doubted that it could take much more weight than the two of you. Looking back at Asriel, he looked even more worried than you, his hands gripped the rope so hard that his arms were trembling. You asked him if he was alright.

"Y-yeah! I just hate these bridges. They really oughta build better ones. I guess Gaster, the royal scientist, will probably do it after he's done with the Core." Asriel stammered, focused on trying not to fall to his death. Well, if it came down to it, you could just RESET if one of you fell.

Speaking of which, why couldn't you find any SAVE points?

In that moment, it didn't really matter. All that did was that the two of crossed safely.

"Phew! That was scary. It's still being built, but there's an elevator leading up home." Asriel wiped his furry brow with his sleeve. Being furry can't be good in a place like this. He led you to the elevator, stepped inside, and tapped one of the two buttons.

The doors closed, and the elevator began to ascend, towards New Home.


	4. Family

A/N: Wow, this story exploded overnight! more than 700 views and only 4 chapters in. Thank you so much to all of you who have shown your support for this, I really appreciate it.

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The elevator's slow speed and lack of annoying music gave you a chance to think about your situation. You searched your mind for your SAVE file, hoping to find a backup somewhere. You couldn't find anything. Was this because you reset too far, or did Chara have something to do with it? The only person you could ask at that moment was humming lightly to himself, substituting the silence. The quiet tune sounded familiar somehow. The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a narrow walkway.

Monsters bustled in the streets below you, lanterns lighting up every nook and cranny. The architecture of the buildings themselves looked very similar to human designs. Seemed like they learned some things before the war. You followed your goat friend, and were met with the familiar sight of a quaint, little house. Buttercups, tulips, roses, they all grew in the garden, light shining down from a hole in the underground above. Asgore was better suited to be a gardener than a king. "Mom and Dad are in the throne room." Asriel told you. Upon hearing their names, you smiled. You'd finally get to see them as a family.

"Down here." Asriel pointed towards the stairs. You followed him down, each step creaking quietly. Something felt wrong.

You stayed behind Asriel, winding through the corridors and passing another view of New Home. The city seemed peaceful, if not restless. They must have been getting sick of being trapped underground. Upon reaching the final elevator, you saw the entrance to the final corridor. You felt yourself fill with dread. Would it be like last time? You both stepped inside, the floor tiles were as clean as ever.

The overworld's morning light shined in, leaving the room glowing in a faint golden hue. But you felt darkness. Something other than a shiver crawled up your back.

Suddenly, something appeared from one of the column's shadows.

"heya."

"Huh? How did you get here before us, Sans?" Asriel questioned.

"took a shortcut. prince, you should go see your mom and dad. me and our friend here have something to talk about." He spoke in an emotionless voice. Something about that tone scared you senseless.

Asriel didn't quite catch on. "Okay! See you in a moment, Frisk." And with those last words, you were left alone with somebody who could have killed you where you stood.

Instead of slaughtering you, he asked a question. "how many times, kid?"

You told him you didn't understand, but he cut you off.

"nah, dont try to deny it. We know all about it." His eyes rolled back once more, leaving empty black sockets. "You see, Gaster and I have been working on a little something. It tracks timeline anomalies. After seeing you, I checked it to see if my suspicions were right. I hoped they weren't, kid. I really did. But they were."

You told him that if you didn't reset, everything would have ended.

"That's where you're wrong, buddy. **That** **timeline would have ended.** **None of the others would have been affected**. Now, not only have you screwed up ours, but you brought something with you."

Your blood ran cold. Was Chara still inside you? If they were, you didn't feel them writhing.

"The energy signature we found wasn't consistent with the one that's been destroying the others. So there's that." Sans shrugged, almost as if he sensed your thoughts.

You were confused. What else could have come with you? Chara destroyed everything else. "That one seems to just appear at a random point, in every timeline. Even the ones that eventually disappear. But it appeared alongside you."

He shoved his hands in his hoodie. "I don't know what you're planning for us, but if you hurt anyone..."

His left eyesocket flickered blue for a second. " _ **You're gonna have a bad time."**_

"anyways, when you get some free _**time**_ , stop by our lab. you've already been there haven't you?"

Upon seeing your shocked expression, he winked at you. "chin up, kid. at least you didn't get dunked on. _**this time.**_ " And with that, he vanished, leaving you alone in the chilling hall.

Involuntarily swallowing the lump in your throat, you carried onwards to meet with Asriel. Following the final corridor, you found the large archway into the throne room. Inside you saw Asriel, speaking to his mother. But where was Asgore?

Upon seeing you, Asriel pointed to you. You strolled through the flowers towards them. "See, mom? They're human!" He exclaimed.

Toriel approached you. "Hello there, my child. Did you get lost?" She asked, concerned.

You told her that you fell down from Mt. Ebott.

"Oh my… Do your parents know that you fell down here?"

You shook your head, somberly. You didn't want to think about them. They didn't care about you. They never did.

Toriel paused for a moment, in deep thought. "You seem so familiar… We'd be happy to take you in while you live down here. Would you like that?"

Before you could answer, you were interrupted by a warcry from the room behind the throne.

"NGAAAAAAH! WHY CAN'T I BEAT YOU?"

"Patience, Undyne. Anger clouds your judgement in combat. Read into my attacks, and strike when the moment is right. Don't just throw everything you have at me and expect me to keel over."

You turned back to Toriel, and told her that you'd love to stay with them. As a family.

"Yeah! We can be siblings!" Asriel shouted happily, as he hugged you gently. You returned it eagerly, wrapping your arms around him. He was so fluffy, it made your heart ache. After a brief moment, you both pulled away. It seemed as though you took Chara's place.

"See? I knew you could do it!"

Asgore and Undyne reentered the throne room, both of them looked sweaty. "Hello, my son. Is this the human?" Asgore spoke in his bass filled voice, you were still surprised how it didn't surpass your hearing range.

Asriel nodded. "Yeah, mom said we're siblings now!"

Asgore raised an eyebrow, and turned to face you. His beard looked extra manly. "Is that so? Well then… Would you like a cup of tea?" He offered.

You never got to take him up on that offer before.

Getting the chance to drink golden flower tea, it filled you with…

Wait.

 _Where was your determination?_


	5. Catch Up

A/N: Wow, you people really like this, huh? Thank you all for everything you've done to support this so far, we've just scratched the surface with where I want to go with this story. Trust me, this is going to be a ride.

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The tea looked to be quite milky. The pale, chalky brown was certainly not as hot as when Undyne prepared it. Just where did they get milk from down here? The only animals whose milk you drank were cows and goats…

Oh Lord, no.

You shuddered, pushing the disgusting thought from your mind. The last thing you wanted to do was to puke up the tea your new foster father prepared for you. You expected Asgore to start asking questions. You'd heard that he liked to chat while drinking, if his notes were anything to go by. Your thoughts were proven right when he spoke up between sips. The two of you were sat on the grass, surrounded by the same flowers that you were drinking. "So, Frisk. Where did you come from?"

You couldn't remember your real home's name even if you tried. Reliving the same events countless times really drained you. Flowey was right when he said that all people boil down to, was what they said. But this timeline was vastly different. Resetting to a different time obviously brought a lot of differences with it. Even Gaster was here. You couldn't find a SAVE point, or even summon up enough to determination to RESET. And if you couldn't RESET, then what was stopping a relentless killer from ending everything?

Sans _did_ mention that Chara wasn't with you. Yet. But something else was. Something that had been with you in every timeline. It appeared just as Chara manifested themselves. Did their intervention help you break away?

You told Asgore that you couldn't quite remember where you were from. You weren't lying, at least.

He nodded in understanding. "Ah, has the name eluded you? No matter." He glanced over to his wife and son, who were over by the two thrones. They appeared to be happy. "We've been down here a while now. The barrier has prevented us from leaving by any means. We've tried pushing through, digging a tunnel, and climbing. We just can't surpass it." He sipped his beverage once more. "How do you like our little family, Frisk? You're practically a Dreemurr now."

If only he understood the double entendre he presented. Having plenty of time to reflect, you realized the sick irony of their last name being an anagram of Murderer. Still, it was what you always wanted. Toriel was your mother, regardless if she knew you well in this timeline or not. The two of you shared an unseen bond, even in the short space of time that you knew her.

Asgore was a different story. You'd have liked to see him as a father figure, but upon trying to kill you, you rescinded that desire. The man meant well, however. You couldn't judge someone just because they were doing what they thought was right. Still, he grew on you

Asriel… Your love for him possibly surpassed Toriel's. Arguably, you knew him better than her. Simply because he was one of the few people to discuss different things with you in each timeline. There was no doubt in your mind that he was your brother; he deserved a better sibling than Chara, based on his description of what they did. Thankfully, you had the chance to become that sibling. Perhaps he was only a 'crybaby' because of their actions, as you hadn't seen him be anything but happy in your presence. You could finally do right by him.

You flashed him a smile, and said that you found your new family pleasant. He smiled back in agreement, his grin far wider than yours. "Ah, I'm glad you like it. I'm sure you know the story of how we ended up down here by now." He said, more of a statement than a question.

You shook your head, feigning ignorance. Of course you knew by now, but it wouldn't hurt to receive Asgore's viewpoint, would it? He put his teacup down, and leaned back on his hands, clutching at the luscious grass beneath you both.

"A long time ago, we monsters lived with your kind. It was only relative harmony, as we were often judged and mislabelled by others. The term 'monster' always held such negative connotations to humans. So much so, that it became an insult. As the hatred became more widespread, the discrimination escalated. Eventually, some monsters were being attacked in the streets. I decided to speak to the humans' queen, I believe her name was Annalise. I hoped for it to come to a peaceful resolution, but those few bad apples tainted the bunch. Not long after, our two species went to war. We lost. We all fled underground, seeking shelter from them. Queen Annalise had seven wizards create a magical force so powerful, that a power equivalent to theirs would be required to break it. Thus, here we are now." Asgore paused to breathe, his monologue taking quite a bit out of him. He looked down to his teacup.

"Oh dear, it's gone cold."

You giggled at him. He was certainly different from the previous timelines, but he still held that dadly charm about him. You realized that you wanted to ask him something else. Something that you just had to know about.

"Gaster? I appointed him as the Royal Scientist, after his successful attempts to merge a monster soul with a human soul's fragments. I believe the subjects were called WD-S and WD-P. He's been working on a marvel of modern technology known as the Core for several years now. Why do you ask?"

S and P? You wondered who they could have been. You told Asgore about your meeting with Sans, and how he mentioned Gaster. Leaving out the part about timeline anomalies, of course. He nodded his head, stroking his _goat-_ ee. One half of the skeletal duo must have rubbed off on you.

After standing up and brushing the grass from your jeans, you recalled Sans' request.

It was time to get some answers.

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(I got the human queen's name from Bloodborne)


	6. Revelations

A/N: It's about time to get some answers. I know this may sound like I'm on repeat, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who's shown their support for the story so far. See you in a day or two!

EDIT: Wow, nearly 2500 views! For such a short story, that is simply amazing.

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Just as you set off for Snowdin, Asriel caught up to you by the last corridor.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going, Frisk?" He questioned. He probably wanted to accompany you, on whatever great adventure he thought you were going on. Truthfully, it really wasn't, and you didn't want him to find out the real reason. You doubted that he'd take it well. Telling him that in some other time, he'd committed atrocities that would be considered unforgivable would probably shut the poor kid's brain down.

So, you lied again. Well, it was only a half lie. You told him that Sans wanted to introduce you to his brother. What would Papyrus have been doing in this timeline anyway?

Asriel shrugged his shoulders. "He's a pretty cool guy, he started a fan club for me. We're the only two members, but that just sounds silly, seeing as I'd be a fan of myself." He laughed.

Reaching into his pockets, he handed you his ancient phone. "Just call Mom if you need to talk, okay? Her number's the only one in the phone. See you later!" With that, Asriel walked back to the garden room, probably wanting to spend time with his parents. This phone seemed too familiar, leaving an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. Having to leave out details to who was supposed to be your brother, troubled you. How much would you have to keep a lid on with your new family? You couldn't exactly tell Asgore that you came from a time where he murdered 6 children, and his adopted child was trying to coerce you into destroying the world. That would just sound crazy, right?

But still, even resetting this far back didn't completely wipe their memories. Even Napstablook remembered you. Or at least, what they felt around you. Sooner or later, they'd somehow recall memories of you. It was only inevitable, but you just hoped that it wasn't any time soon. Nobody but you, Chara, Flowey and Sans truly remembered.

Speaking of Sans, it was time you learned more about him. He was always cryptically elusive to you in the past, dodging the fact that he remembered and concealing his odd abilities. You always wondered if his powers were natural, or caused by something else entirely.

You rode the elevator down to the hotlands, and approached the River Person. They greeted you nonchalantly. "Care for a ride?"

Nodding your head, you climbed onto the dugout boat and made an 'S' shape with your fingers. "Off we go. Tra la la." The boat shook for a moment; lifting itself up, and out of the water before sprinting across the surface of the water. The trip wasn't exactly to stay standing, you flailed your arms for balance.

"Drink your vegetables and eat plenty of water. Tra la la." Your face scrunched up while trying to decipher their thought processes. They definitely knew more than they let on. The boat came to a stop, and you were met with the sight of a small dog rolling in the snow. Its coat matched the ground perfectly, looking like a large fluffy mass of snow. Climbing out of the boat, you approached it. Upon seeing you, it wagged its tail and nuzzled your leg. You scratched its ear and checked its collar.

'Toby' was its name.

The dog yelped, and began to follow you as you strolled towards Snowdin Town. It reminded you of its presence by occasionally bumping into you. Before long, you found yourself standing before the skeleton brothers' house. Opening the door, you stepped inside; only to be met with the duo watching TV.

"heh. that mutt's a _dog_ able."

"SANS! THAT WAS EVEN WORSE THAN USUAL!" Papyrus yelled out. He wasn't wearing his 'Battle Body', replaced by a dressing gown adorned with his 'Battle Bones', stuck to his robe with tape. "WOWIE! A VISITOR, HERE FOR ME?" His cheeks glowed with yellow sparkles.

Sans picked up the TV remote, and switched the channel. It seemed to be a stand up comedian's show. "actually, i think theyre here to see gaster."

"THAT BORING SCIENTIST? HE'S NOWHERE NEAR AS COOL AS ME." Papyrus jumped up from the couch, his bones rattling loudly. Toby watched him with interest, panting loudly.

"HELLO THERE! I NOTICED YOUR INTEREST IN MY COOL BATH ROBE! DO YOU LIKE BONES TOO?" As soon as Papyrus finished the question, Toby jumped up and snagged one of the bones from his gown. "HEY! YOU MANGY MUTT, THAT'S MY ATTACK THAT YOU'RE STEALING!" He shook his bony fist as the annoying dog sprinted out the front door, never to be seen again.

Sans broke the silence. "i guess you could say he had a _bone_ to pick with you."

Papyrus let out a frustrated howl. "THAT WASN'T EVEN FUNNY!"

Sans smirked. "so it didnt hit your _funny bone_?"

Papyrus refused to even look at his brother, instead turning towards you. "DON'T GO AND SEE GASTER! STAY HERE AND JOIN THE MINI ASGORE CLUB!"

Sans groaned. "Does this mean i have to join too?"

Papyrus span, swinging the bones around. "YOU LIVE IN THE MINI ASGORE CLUB HOUSE! OF COURSE YOU DO! DON'T YOU WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE AS COOL AS ME, BROTHER?"

A sweat drop rolled down Sans' skull. "yeah, sure paps."

Papyrus clapped his hands. "THEN IT'S SETTLED! WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING! REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED MOMENTARILY. NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus cackled as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Sans put his slippers on. "ill be straight with you. why bother any more? why are you trying to make friends so much, when youll just RESET everything again?"

You wanted to put things right. You had the opportunity to go back before every other RESET, change everything before it even happened. This was the best chance you'd ever get. Not that you'll get any more chances.

"i wanna believe you kid, i really do. it's just hard to."

He turned to face you, his eyes weren't in their sockets.

" _ **Especially when you've killed my brother more times than I can remember."**_

You blinked, and his eyes suddenly reappeared. You wondered if Papyrus could do that.

"anyway, c'mon. You came here to see gaster about the timelines. let's get to it." Sans snapped his finger, and you felt yourself falling.

Suddenly, you regained your vision. You were standing in a very cramped lab for three people. A tall figure stood, typing away on some strange machine. You recalled that the machine was broken by the time you found it in other timelines. Sans placed his hand on your shoulder. "this is our lab. youve been here before anyway, i shouldnt have to tell you that."

Sans walked over to the other figure, who whispered something to him. The skeleton nodded, and turned back to you. "he says that theres no point in trying to talk to you, seeing as you wont understand him. youd better be ready for this kid, its gonna be a long explanation." Sans took a deep… Breath? How on earth does he breathe?

"we built this machine. it gives us a chronological view of every timeline that affects the underground. strange enough, the timelines only show up if you fell down here. anyways, gasters been watching them. you know, to see if anything significant's happened. we started to notice a pattern after a while. four distinct energy signatures showed up. one of them caused the timelines to RESET, but its gone quiet. we called that one 'Flowey', seeing as it was the original signature to alter the 'flow' of the timelines. there are also two others; one of which is present in every timeline. even this one. the other seems to be physically destroying the timelines, not just RESET-ting. this started when you arrived in this one. get it? that signature's searching for you, kid. it wants you dead, and isnt stopping any time soon. thats whats got us so worried."

Sans leaned back against the cabinets. "and of course, youre the fourth one. any questions?"

What was the anomaly that was following you?

"ah, that one. it doesnt really do anything. it just watches. we call that one 'The Observer', seeing as its been in every timeline that weve recorded. as far as we know, it hasnt intervened at all. it just… exists.

One more question. What did Asgore mean by WD-P and WD-S?

Sans turned away from you, his voice sounded… Nervous. "ill tell ya some other time, kid."

The lab door burst open behind you, and a familiar voice filled your ears. "WHY ARE YOU IN HERE, HUMAN? THIS IS A PLACE FOR UNCOOL PEOPLE!"

Sans smirked, and shoved his hands in his hoodie. "youre right about that, bro. its time for my union-allotted break anyway. lets go have this club meeting."

You stepped outside and fished in your pocket for Asriel's phone. Upon selecting mom's number, you were met with a confused voice on the other end. "Huh? Asriel, who is ringing me from your phone?"

You heard a distant voice. "I gave Frisk my phone, mom. Can I talk to them?"

"Very well, my child. Here you go." You heard the phone being passed along.

Finally, you were met with your brother's enthusiastic voice. "Hey Frisk! Need me for something?"

You told him about his fan club's meeting, and how the club had two new members.

"Golly! I'll be there as soon as I can."

You said goodbye, and put the phone down.

* * *

 **You're just delaying the inevitable truth, Frisk. Sooner or later, they''ll find out.**

Who was that?

 **I've been dormant through every timeline.** _ **Watching.**_ **It's about** **time** _ **I**_ **intervened.**

What are you?

 **I am formless. Although, I am** _ **determined**_ **to see this timeline through. It is most interesting. I've seen everything that has ever been, and ever will be. Everything except your final ending. I intend to close this book, and your choices will determine if you get your 'Happy Ending' or if you burn for the rest of time. I'll be watching.**


	7. Problems

A/N: Now the story's heating up. Anyway, time to reply to some reviews, seeing as I've been putting them off. Here are some notable ones.

EpicCesar: You really are too kind, I can't accept all of this praise, it's too much! But in all honesty, thank you so much.

Noob6: You're the only one to make that connection, good job. The Observer is supposed to represent the player. They'll have a much larger impact in the story later on.

* * *

 **There will always be a part of me inside you. And when I find you, you'll suffer with the rest of them. You'll get your 'Happy Ending' and I'll be there to take it away from you, as I always have. Your friends will suffer, and you'll witness it all. Starting with your crybaby brother.**

You tried to ignore the voice in your head, but it never went away. It _lingered._

 **Don't bother. I'll never leave. It may take weeks, months or even years, but I'll wipe out every timeline until I find you. Every version of you will be snuffed from existence, and I'll bring your life to an end. Continue on, Frisk. I'll be with you.**

What could you possibly do? You had the strength to stop them from reading your thoughts, but anytime they spoke, you couldn't resist them. The only good thing that came out of this, was the fact that Chara would most likely take a while to destroy every timeline. Meaning, you at least had time.

But how much? And what could you have possibly done to stop a God?

Your frantic mind was paused by an announcement.

"THE REFRESHMENTS ARE READY! PREPARE TO BECOME VERY FRESH!" Papyrus exclaimed, exiting the kitchen with a large bottle of 'Monster Lemonade' and a bowl of monster candies.

"thats _sweet_ of you, bro." Sans chuckled, expecting Papyrus to start frothing at the mouth.

However, it didn't happen. "THANK YOU, BROTHER! I PRIDE MYSELF ON SERVING CONFECTIONARY. ONLY THE VERY BEST FOR PRINCE ASGORE!" Papyrus didn't seem to catch the pun, for once.

Sans turned to you, and whispered in your ear. "hey kid. want a 'dog?"

You were confused. Toby already ran off, didn't he?

"nah. an apostrophe-dog. ya know, short for hot dog." He pulled a suspicious looking hot dog bun from his hoodie. "this aint any old 'dog. this… is a magic 'dog. it tastes of whatever you imagine it to be. usually, itd be 1000G, but since i know you, you can have it for free."

This seemed too good to be true. Sans always pulled this stuff on you.

"hey, ill even throw in some magic ketchup. howsabout it?" Sans offered.

Why not, right? You nodded your head.

Sans winked at you, and pulled a ketchup bottle from his other hoodie pocket. How many pockets did he have? "here you go, kid. enjoy." You took the hot dog, and coated it in ketchup. You hoped it tasted of chocolate.

Upon biting into it, it tasted just like a regular hotdog. You asked Sans why it didn't taste any different.

He smirked. "whats the matter, kid? You must have wished for it to taste like a normal hot dog. youre pretty boring." Of course. One of his silly antics.

 **Kill him.**

What?

 **You heard me. Kill. Them.**

Not happening. You shook your head, trying to shake them out of it. Papyrus noticed this.

"ARE WE HAVING A HEAD SHAKING CONTEST? WOWIE! I CAN DO ONE BETTER!" Papyrus stood up, and began spinning at superhuman speeds. As this weird contest began, the front door opened.

"Hey guys! Uh… What are you doing?" Asriel asked, confused.

Papyrus finally came to a stop, and leaped up in excitement. "PRINCE ASGORE HAS ARRIVED! WE CAN START THE FAN CLUB MEETING!"

Sans sat back down on the couch, sorting out his illegal wares inside his hoodie. "youve _goat_ to be kidding me."

Asriel giggled, "We've got a skele- _ton_ of things to talk about!"

Papyrus grinded his teeth loudly. "NOT YOU TOO, YOUR HIGHNESS! AND I THOUGHT YOU HAD STANDARDS." He coughed, it sounded like bones rattling. "BEFORE THIS MEETING CAN BEGIN, YOU MUST DISCOVER MY SECRET!"

Sans groaned. "i already know it, bro."

"NOT YOU! THE HUMAN AND ASGORE!" Papyrus shouted.

Last time, it was spaghetti under his hat. But what could it be this time? Wait a minute…

You asked him if it was under his bath robe.

He looked shocked, his hands covering his mouth. "HOW COULD YOU, HUMAN? ASKING ME TO TAKE OFF MY ROBE… I HAVE CERTAIN STANDARDS! AND YOU MUST MEET THEM!"

You told him that you like puzzles.

"OH NO! YOU'VE MET ALL OF MY STANDARDS! I MUST REVEAL MY BIG SECRET!" Papyrus threw off his bath robe, revealing a second outfit.

It consisted of a green sweater, with Asriel's face stitched on haphazardly. The facial features looked rather… Wonky.

"DO YOU LIKE IT? IT'S MY FAN CLUB PRESIDENT OUTFIT!"

Asriel looked rather uncomfortable, twiddling his thumbs. "That's kinda disturbing, Papyrus."

 **If only he saw my creepy face in this timeline.** _ **That**_ **would have scared him. I know it scared you.**

Ignoring Chara, you clapped in approval of Papyrus's Super Secret Sweater™, making him blush profusely. "FINALLY! RECOGNITION! RESPECT! REWARDS! THAT'S PAPYRUS!"

Sans scooped up a handful of monster candies, putting them in another pocket. "so whats next?"

"NOW IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS IS! I SHALL START. (AHEM) HE MEETS MY STANDARDS! I GIVE HIM PAPYRUS'S SEAL OF APPROVAL!" Papyrus gestured to his brother to continue.

Sans slipped his hands into his hoodie, and leaned back into the couch. "you like bad puns, and thats good enough for me, prince."

Your turn. You told Asriel that he had good fashion sense.

"NOW IT'S YOUR TURN, PRINCE ASGORE!" Papyrus said, gesturing to Asriel.

"Huh? _I_ have to talk about how great I am?" He asked, rather reluctantly.

"OF COURSE! THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN SELF CONFIDENCE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM THE EMBODIMENT OF SELF CONFIDENCE!"

"but i thought you were the embodiment of bones?" Sans quipped.

Papyrus stomped his feet. "AND YOU'RE THE EMBODIMENT OF LAZYBONES. NYEH HEH HEH!"

Asriel quietly spoke up. "I like my… Feet?"

Papyrus smiled with glee, and put on his 'Battle Robe'. "THAT'S THE SPIRIT! THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S MEETING, I MUST RECALIBRATE MY PUZZLES. YOU SHOULD BE TOO, SANS!"

Suddenly, Asriel's phone rang in your pocket. You took it out, and answered the call. "My children, come to the ruins quickly! Another human has fallen down."

All sorts of possibilities ran through your mind, but one voice rang out.

 **It's me.**


	8. Confusion

A/N: Sorry for the short delay. College work has been busy recently. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy; please leave a review, and favourite/follow if you like it!

* * *

Seeing as the ruins of New Home weren't locked, as they had no reason to be, getting from Snowdin to the flower patch near the mouth of the mountain didn't take long.

The thoughts racing through your head sure made it feel longer than it actually was.

That whisper in the back of your mind terrified you. Didn't you have more time? Chara said it themselves, it should have taken a lot longer than two hours. But even Toriel confirmed it. Chara was here, and there was probably nothing that you could have done about it. They'd kill everything. You had to stop them, somehow.

Panting from exhaustion, you jogged out of the ruin entrance, and were met with the sight of a child laying face down on the bed of flowers. Your mother's voice filled your ears.

"Hello, my child. I found this little one here, they must have fallen down as you did."

You nodded your head, conveying a sense of level headedness. Though on the inside, you felt your stomach churn painfully. From that angle, they looked exactly like you; albeit with a different shirt. One yellow stripe, with a green background. Sickeningly similar to Asriel's shirt.

 **We're so alike, you and I.**

 **We'll both lie to and manipulate those we consider 'friends'. At least I have the courtesy of not hiding it any more. You're clearly just a psychopath, trying to hide that rush that you felt when their dust coated your hands. You enjoyed it just as much as I do. Don't you see? We are one and the same.**

 **SO. STOP. HIDING. IT.**

This imitation of a human exuded a heavy presence. You felt sick just looking at them.

"Hey! Is that the human?" Your brother's breathless, yet enthusiastic voice filled the cave.

 **He'll be even more breathless when I strangle him.**

You felt the life drain from your face. This couldn't have fallen apart so soon, could it?

Asriel approached the child, and poked them gently. They stirred, and lifted their head up. Their cheeks were as rosy as you remembered them. "Hey! Come on, get up." Your brother grabbed their hand, and lifted them to their feet.

" _Hello. I am Chara."_ Their voice seemed different to the one in your head. It almost sounded like it had emotion. Not that their smile convinced you, it was clearly hiding a being devoid of feeling anything. Chara just chose to hide it.

That smile motivated you to get out of there. You pulled Asriel away from them, moving to block him from the demon that stood before you. They spoke to you, sounding rather surprised. " _Have I done something to offend you?"_ This was all sorts of wrong. Chara said it themselves, they refused to hide their nature any more. Why bother doing that now?

"Are you feeling alright, my child? Is something wrong? You look rather pale." Toriel asked you, to which you nodded to her.

You needed help, and fast. You asked Asriel if he had a way to contact Sans. If anyone could stop Chara, he could.

 **That nitwit won't stop me. I've killed him as many times as he's killed me. But by all means, go ahead and try to contact him. It'll just get my challenger out of the way quicker.**

The voice and Chara themselves didn't add up. Why were they acting polite? And why was that voice terrifying you?

As your mind frayed, the real Chara began to speak. " _I'm not quite sure how I got here. One minute, I was at the top of the mountain, the next I was down here."_ Their voice was soft, and they seemed well spoken.

Before you could have your say, Asriel interrupted. "Frisk fell down here too! They don't really remember anything either. Maybe that's just what the mountain does?"

"I'll leave you to talk, children. I'll see if I can make any butterscotch and cinnamon pie while we're here. I'll be at our old home if you need me. Just call, okay?" And with that, your guardian left. Asriel quickly followed her, leaving you alone with a genocidal maniac.

You didn't take your eyes off of them, even for a moment. If you did, they'd probably strike. Chara raised an eyebrow. " _Why are you looking at me like that? Do you know something that I do not?"_ Their tone reminded you of Toriel's.

They had the perfect opportunity to strike, yet they didn't.

 **Don't you get it yet? I thought you were smarter than this, Frisk. I'm not in your timeline.** _ **Yet.**_ **But in a way, I suppose I am. A different version of me. One that isn't tainted by death.**

This Chara wasn't evil? It made sense. They never tried to attack you or your family. That didn't stop you from being weary, however. Regardless of what they said, they came down here for a reason. To destroy humanity. You relaxed your shoulders.

You told them that you knew why they were here. Something flashed in their eyes for a moment; you couldn't distinguish what it was.

" _But even I'm not sure why I'm here. How could you know?"_ Their voice sounded suspicious. They didn't seem to remember the previous timelines. Or at least, they didn't show it. " _You seem familiar. I know it sounds odd, but it feels like I've met you before."_

There it was. They remembered _something_ , and that would eventually come flooding back. Just as Napstablook and your parents had, they knew something about that RESET.

You prayed that those memories wouldn't return.


	9. Out Of The Frying Pan

A/N: Quite a short, but very important chapter. Please leave a review if you like this story so far!

* * *

There was a perplexingly odd detail that began to dig away at you. Even with your brief time here, Asriel didn't seem to remember you. A weirdly specific detail to focus on, but how come almost everybody else remembered?

 **He does.**

So why didn't he show it?

 **Because he doesn't want to lose you. He was always a naive child. Back in my original timeline, he always cared too much. It's what got him killed.**

Chara got him killed, not his compassion.

 **Call it what you like, I only exposed that weakness of his. In this world, it's kill or be killed. He told you about that, didn't he? When he was a flower. Well, the mantra still stands. I adopted it before I fell down here.**

But why?

 **That isn't something for you to know. So don't ask. You couldn't imagine what I went through. Whatever reason you had for climbing this purgatory? It's nothing compared to mine.**

You zoned out, refusing to listen to them any longer. Their voice continued to fill your mind, but you tried to ignore it.

The two of you approached the Dreemurr's 'Home away from New Home', the garden appeared to be in perfect condition. The plants all seemed healthy, despite the lack of traffick through the ruins. Perhaps Asriel tended to them in his spare time.

The sweet smell of butterscotch filled your nose, and the nostalgic memories came flooding back. You always wanted to just stay with Toriel down here. But something always told you to keep going.

 **We share the same soul, Frisk. The red heart. We are one and the same. Our soul, the paths we've chosen, even our fashion sense. Don't you wonder why I keep saying that there's a part of me inside you?**

Realization struck you. Everything that you saw whenever you were killed, stayed in the ruins too long, or even when you blacked out from the fall into the dump zone was Chara's memories.

But if there was a part of them inside you, did that mean that there was a part of you inside them?

There was a faint sound of fire crackling from the kitchen, the pie almost smelled ready. Asriel was sat where his mother would usually sit, next to the moderately warm fireplace. Chara sat on the ground beside the fire, leaving you stood up. While the two of them idly chatted, you heard a clutter from the basement. You stepped back through the doorway, and noticed Papyrus. He was laying face down against the steps.

"SANS! YOU TRIPPED ME!" The loud skeleton shouted.

The shorter one was stood at the top of the stairs, level with you. He glanced towards you, and winked slyly. "guess you _fell_ for me, am i right?" A drum beat accompanied his joke. From where, you couldn't tell.

"UGH! YOUR PUNS DISGUST ME." Papyrus groaned, as he rattled his bones trying to get up.

Sans slipped his hands in his pockets, leaning against the railing. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "hey, kid. hows it hanging?"

You asked him why they were here, seeing as you didn't have any way to contact him.

"long story short, we noticed that something else's come into the equation here." He blinked, revealing empty sockets once again. " **Know what I'm talking about? Of course you do. It has a similar signature to what's been destroying the other timelines."**

You took a step back, and blocked the doorway with your hands. This Chara wasn't bad!

" **Try telling that to all of the brothers that they've killed."**

With a snap of his fingers, your vision went dark for a split second. Upon it clearing, Sans was no longer standing in front of you. Instead, was Papyrus. "I HATE IT WHEN HE DOES THAT!" He looked past the door you were standing in front of. "LUCKILY HE DIDN'T GO FAR! WAIT… IS THAT ANOTHER HUMAN? ARE YOU MULTIPLYING DOWN HERE? WILL THERE BE FOUR HUMANS THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU?"

You told Papyrus that humans don't asexually reproduce.

"AH! SO THE STORK BRINGS THEM…" He narrowed his eyesockets as he spoke, before finally jumping up in realization. "DO SKELETONS MULTIPLY?"

You shook your head, and re-entered the room, only to see Chara being gripped tightly by a blue glow. Their expression of fear made you feel something deep inside.

" **D i e."** You only heard him use that side of his voice once. It was even worse than his usual serious voice. This tone… Sent sins crawling up your back.

Asriel spoke up from the corner of the room. He was hiding under the dining table, covering his head in fear. "Sans, What are you doing? They haven't done anything wrong!"

Sans didn't take his glowing blue eye off of Chara. " **Sorry, Prince. But this has to happen. Just look away."** Before he could impale the child, a fireball sailed past Sans's head, scorching the wallpaper.

A familiar voice spoke up, yet it sounded much, _much_ more serious.

" _Get off of them. Now."_ Toriel threatened, stepping into the room from the kitchen. This was the angriest you'd seen her. Her ears were seemingly defying gravity, and her eyes were glowing with blue flames. " _Lay a finger on them, and I swear that you'll regret it."_ Her sense of protectiveness hardly surprised you, but it distracted Sans for a mere moment.

His grip on the rosy cheeked child loosened, allowing Chara a chance to move.

They dived for the dining table, grabbing a knife. They twirled it between their fingers, and clenched it tightly. " _Come and get it."_

The smell of smoke filled the air. The butterscotch pie was starting to burn.

Sans shoved his hands in his pockets, and replied. " **You first."**

 **Now, this gets interesting.**


	10. Into The Fire

A/N: Sorry this chapter took a while longer than usual, I had some stuff to take care of during my week off. I'd just like to take a moment to thank you all for your feedback, it means so much to me that you'd take the time to leave nice comments and reviews. Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated also. This chapter is a little shorter than usual because it seemed fit to end it short. One more thing, Sans may seem a little OOC, but that's intentional. He isn't going to be a villain, don't worry. Anyways, see you all in the next chapter.

* * *

Times like this, you wondered if you'd ever finally lose your marbles. Chara was gripping the knife close to them, the room looked to be in an awful state. Dining chairs had been scattered around the room, the walls were scorched with flame and the ones that you'd grown to love were fighting amongst themselves. Sans was relentlessly trying to get past Toriel, who was deadset on protecting Chara from him. She seemed to ignore the fact that they grabbed a knife, probably chalking it up to self defense. Even Papyrus was looking worried, a huge contrast to his usual flamboyant self. The last monster in the room was cowering under the dining table. If you strained your ears, it sounded like he was crying.

 **Mayhem. It's liberating, isn't it? Join in, you know you want to. It'll be even worse when I find you.**

"SANS, PLEASE STOP THIS!" Papyrus begged, oblivious to the reasons behind this feud.

" **I can't do that, bro. This thing's killed us all plenty of times. I'm not just gonna stand around any more."** Sans's left eye flashed briefly.

Chara was tossed across the room, towards the dining table. They grabbed the edge of it, balancing themselves on top of it. " _What are you talking about? I've done nothing to you!"_

There wasn't much you could have done to stop the conflict, you weren't strong enough. If you had your determination, maybe…

Chara dived from the table, swinging their knife wildly towards the short skeleton. He backstepped effortlessly, and flashed them a taunting grin. " **Too slow. I've done this enough to know everything you can throw at me."**

Before Sans could prepare his bone attack, Toriel stepped between the pair. "Enough! You'd harm an innocent child?"

Sans's violent eye disappeared. " **That one's** _ **anything but**_ **innocent. Trust me, your highness. If this doesn't end now, they'll kill everything down here."**

"And how could you possibly know that? Chara has been nothing but polite and kind, and they haven't done anything to show me otherwise. Now, _get out of my house._ " Toriel threatened, narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth.

Sans recoiled back, he widened his eyesockets in surprise. "fine. but this isn't over." With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Papyrus remained, he looked visibly distressed. "HE… HE HASN'T DONE THAT BEFORE…"

You asked him if he could prepare one of his puzzles for you later, to try to take his mind off of what just happened.

Upon hearing that word, his eyes lit up. "FOR YOU, HUMAN, I SHALL CREATE THE GREATEST PUZZLE THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! PREPARE TO BE THOROUGHLY JAPED! NYEH HEH HEH!" He grinned, and took off running towards the basement.

To anybody else, the living room appeared to be a battleground. It probably would have taken a full day to fix, the scorch marks had burnt through the wallpaper, and several chairs had their legs damaged. Even Toriel's chair seemed to be damaged.

 **If only someone had died there. It would have been entertaining.**

The fire in Toriel's eyes burned out, showing her caring red ones. "Are you okay, my child? He didn't hurt you, did he?" She began to fuss over Chara, who's arms were still locked with the knife in their grasp. It took a moment for them to relax, and drop the knife to the floor.

" _I'm fine, I think. Just shocked me a bit."_ They almost sounded… Disappointed. You were forgetting someone.

You crouched down, and peered under the table. Asriel had his hands covering his face, they trembled slightly. It must have really shook him up. You told him that it was over, that the fight had stopped. He opened his eyes and crawled out from under the table.

"Look at this mess… Asriel! Oh my goodness, are you hurt?" Toriel remembered, and frantically approached him.

"I'm okay, mom. Why did Sans do that?" He shakily asked.

"I'm not sure, my child. Whatever it was about, he was angry." She narrowed her eyes instinctively, her protective nature coming back into effect.

Truth be told, it wasn't difficult to figure out, seeing as he told you his reasons. But having to explain the circumstances worried you. All Sans had to do was tell your parents about the timeline machine, and you wouldn't have had a chance to stop them.

Your hard work would have been for naught, and Chara would be taken away.

As Toriel tended to Asriel, you noticed Chara take something from the corner of your eye. It was probably just a napkin.

At least, that's what you told yourself.


	11. Aftermath

A/N: 8000 views, and so many follows and favourites. I was not expecting this. I'm honestly so amazed how much you all seem to like this. Thank you all so, so much. This is by far the most popular story I've ever written, and I'm having a blast writing it.

* * *

 **Maybe the Bonehead was right. Death didn't change me much, it just made me stronger.** _ **Us stronger.**_ **I'll cut you out of everything, and make you realize your true potential. It's dormant within you, but it** _ **will**_ **come out, just as it has so many times before. And when it does, I'll take everything from you, and I'll burn it all to ashes.**

Asriel's phone vibrated on the kitchen table. For how ancient it was, you were surprised that it had the capability to vibrate. Asriel grabbed it, and put it to his ear.

"Hello? I don't recognise this number…" Asriel asked, confused. You heard a faint voice from the speaker, but you couldn't make out who it was. "Frisk? Okay then." He handed the phone over to you.

You heard a garbled voice over the phone, speaking words which you couldn't recognise. After several moments of static feedback, a familiar voice rose from the white noise.

"hey. can i speak to Seymour Butts?" A skeleton spoke from the other end in a deep voice.

Playing along, you told him that he was speaking to them.

"ah, well you left your lights on at home. your electricity bill's gonna be through the roof."

Why was he telling you this? You failed to understand Sans' logic sometimes.

"lets just get to the point. come on over to mine and paps' house, theres something that you need to see. oh, and bring the prince and some salsa dip." He hung up on you.

You passed the phone back to Asriel, and told him you needed to go to Snowdin. Chara turned their attention from the fireplace to the two of you.

" _Can I come along?'_ They asked innocently.

You nodded, and set off through the basement corridor with the two of them following you. The frozen air filled your lungs, and the snow scattered along the path crunched softly under your shoes. You regretted not bringing a coat, shivering slightly. Asriel didn't seem to be fazed, he hummed to himself gently. Probably his fur. Chara also didn't seem bothered by the low temperature. Their expression reminded you of something, though what it was, you couldn't clearly remember.

As you passed a well crafted sentry station, a voice rang out from it.

"HALT!" the unique voice shouted, as its owner dived out from behind the counter. "PREPARE TO BE MYSTIFIED, HUMANS! AND MINI ASGORE…"

"FOR I HAVE ASSEMBLED THE GREATEST PUZZLE EVER TO BE OBSERVED!" Papyrus announced. It had only been an hour since the altercation with Sans, how had he made something so fast?

Papyrus reached into the pocket of his Battle Gown™ and pulled a familiar looking cube from it. He held it in the air, triumphantly. "BEHOLD! A… ROO-BICKS CUBE? WHY DO HUMANS HAVE SUCH SILLY NAMES FOR THEIR PUZZLES?"

Chara took one look at the cube, and grimaced. They quickly walked past, towards Snowdin Town.

Papyrus was Plentifully Perplexed. "BUT… DON'T YOU LIKE MY CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED CONUNDRUMS?" Chara didn't even turn back to answer.

Asriel spoke up awkwardly. "Maybe they just don't like cubes?"

Papyrus frowned. "EVERYBODY LIKES CUBES."

Asriel took the cube from Papyrus' bony hands, and began to twist the cube around in several directions. Within two minutes, he had solved it. He handed it back to Papyrus, who had a large grin on his skull.

"WOWIE! YOU SOLVED IT EVEN FASTER THAN ME! I DIDNT KNOW THE ROYAL HIGHNESS HAD SUCH AN AFFINITY FOR MY BRILLIANT BRAINTEASERS!" Papyrus held his hands to his cheeks, shocked. "SANS! WAKE UP, YOU LAZYBONES! SOLVE THIS CUBE PUZZLE."

Sans rose up from behind the sentry station, looking tired. "sup, bro?"

Papyrus twisted the cube's sides back to a random formation, and tossed it to his brother. "THIS IS THE BEST PUZZLE YET! IT'S PAINFULLY BORING, AND MAKES YOU WANT TO SLEEP. HOWEVER! THERE ARE MANY TEMPTING THOUGHTS TO BE HAD WHILE SOLVING IT!"

Sans looked thoughtful for a moment, before speaking up. "speakin' of thoughts, i just thought of a new pun."

Papyrus squinted at him. "DON'T YOU DARE."

"whats a skeletons favourite instrument?" Sans began.

"SANS, I'M WARNING YOU!"

"A xylo- _bone."_ winked at you, with his left eye.

Papyrus recoiled in disgust, and took back the Rubik's cube. "YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS. YOU DISGUST ME, BROTHER." With that, Papyrus stormed off back home.

Sans leaned back against the station, and cast you a grin. "hey, kids. want some 'dogs?"

You shook your head. You weren't feeling hungry.

Sans smirked for a moment, before hopping over the counter and pulling a small white dog from behind him. "found this guy eating my 'dogs. want him?"

The dog playfully barked at you. You told Sans that it was Toby.

"Toby? no idea what one a' those is. sounds cool." Sans dropped the dog, and hopped back out of the station. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "anyways, wanna come over to the Bone Home™? i know a shortcut." Sans put his hand on Asriel's shoulder, as well as yours.

You blinked, and you were suddenly standing in Sans' living room. Papyrus was stood by the stairs, panting. "WHO KNEW THAT SPRINTING HOME IN FRUSTRATION MAKES MY MUSCLES ACHE?"

Sans spoke up from behind you. "but we dont have muscles."

Papyrus sprang up, and rolled up his robe's sleeves, only to reveal two sets of sunglasses, perched perfectly on his upper arms. "THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHY MY BICEPS LOOK SO COOL?"

You turned to Sans, and asked him if his call had anything to do with Gaster. Papyrus answered you first.

"WHAT IS A GASTER?"


	12. Preparation

A/N: I fear that the last line of chapter 11 may have been misinterpretted. Papyrus wasn't supposed to have been blissfully ignorant as he usually is, that last line had a lot of significance which I believe I may have misconstrued. Sorry about that.

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"WHOEVER GASTER IS, HE SURE SOUNDS BORING!" Papyrus chortled, flexing his arms. Nothing really happened.

You glanced over to Sans, and noticed that he looked uneasy. Behind you, the front door opened, and a familiar voice greeted your ears.

" _Is this where you all went?"_ Chara peered through the doorway, and locked eyes with you. They smiled and stepped inside, next to you. Sans twitched, as if he was going to move. You stepped in front of Chara, and shook your head.

He understood you, and backed away before beckoning you to him. As soon as you reached him, he spoke quietly. "come with me, we're taking a shortcut." He grabbed your arm, and led you to the front door. As soon as you made contact with it, you found yourself… In his lab?

Sans strolled over to the desk, and grabbed his lab coat. "So, the machine broke." He spoke matter-of-factly, buttoning up his white coat over his blue hoodie. "Gaster's missing. I've been asking around, but nobody remembers him. Plus, I found this in my drawer." He pulled the drawer open, revealing a badge of some sort, as well as a picture of Sans, Papyrus and Gaster standing together. They all looked happy. Sans flipped the picture over, revealing a handwritten note.

' **Don't forget.** '

He turned back to you. "I don't know what happened, and I don't think I wanna. More importantly; when the machine broke, it left itself stuck on the screen that I wanted to show ya." He pointed to the pixelated display.

"You see this?" He questioned. The thousands of timelines you saw when you were here last, had disappeared. There were only a small handful left. Chara the Demon was close. This surprised you. How strong had they grown, to be able to wipe out almost every other timeline in the space of several days? Though, time was relative.

"It's time to get serious. If we don't want this thing to do to us, what it's done everywhere else, we need to get ready for it." Sans told you, in his serious voice.

You asked him what you could do to help.

"No clue. If you don't remember, I died when this thing destroyed its original timeline. Or at least, a different Sans did. The details are a little hazy. But you were there. What was it like?" He asked, curiously.

You told him about how Chara was a parasite, how they overwhelmed you after you killed a monster.

You told him everything, from killing the voice behind the door, to his brother, even him.

He listened closely, though he showed no signs of anger. "You've been good to us here. Whatever you killed, it was probably in self defense. Anything after that, Chara was responsible for it, not you. Don't blame yourself, kid. Anything else?"

You told him about the lack of ability to LOAD and SAVE.

"So someone else has it, in this timeline?" He looked away, toward the broken machine. "Well, at least Chara doesn't have it. Just to make sure, ask them next time you see them. Our Chara, I mean. The Sinner doesn't have it either, at least not in this timeline. They'd be here otherwise." He relaxed, and shoved his hands inside his lab coat.

"Seeing as you're LV1, you won't be much good in a fight." Sans quipped. Noticing your hopeless expression, he smirked. "I only have 1HP and 1ATK. I'm not much better, Frisk. Welp, we'll just have to take it as it comes. In the meantime, I'll be here trying to figure out a way to stop them. I'll be having plenty a' breaks, though. The union says it's mandatory." He winked, and unlocked the door for you.

You stepped outside and felt the familiar frozen air hit you. Soon enough, this would probably cease to exist. The townsfolk all seemed happy, despite the circumstances. If only it filled you with determination…

 **That must be an odd feeling. Having your powers taken away from you; knowing that if you make one mistake, you'll cease to exist. Well, it doesn't matter anyway.** _ **Regardless of if you make that mistake, you'll still die.**_

There was always a way. You beat them back before, when they dropped their guard. You felt something the moment that happened. There was still a glimmer of a good person in there. It was deep down, but it existed.

 **There is no redemption for creatures like me. I only wanted to free the monsters, and take revenge on those that abused me. If only your idiot brother could carry out a simple task. Oh well, you killed him anyway. Sliced his stem and petals to the point of disintegration. Don't let that skeleton fool you, he doesn't trust you. He remembers more than he let on. Everything that happened before I manifested myself, you were accountable for it. Your mother, your best friends…** _ **You**_ **killed them.**

You stepped around to the front of the house, and were met with the sight of a translucent bedsheet.

" _Oh… There you are… I've been looking everywhere for you… I thought you were avoiding me…"_ Napstablook wailed, spilling his ectoplasmic tears in the snow. The tears melted through the snow, fizzling gently.

You asked him what he needed you for.

" _Our neighbour… She's been really angry lately… Y-you're really nice, could you… Talk to her?"_ Napstablook requested.

You nodded your head, and prepared to set off towards Waterfall once again.


	13. Insight

A/N: It isn't long now, just a few chapters. Thanks for all of the support you've all given me, and I hope you enjoy!

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The calming waters always made you feel at home. The supernatural inhabitants were very friendly, excluding that one dummy you met; and then there was Undyne.

You weren't exactly sure what age she was in the other timelines, let alone this one. If you had to guess, she'd probably be in her teens.

Upon reaching the quiet pond past the dump zone, you were met with two familiar voices. They seemed to be having a conversation.

" _I'm sorry Blooky, my dreams can't wait! I'm destined to become a star. But don't worry, I'll always come and visit the old farm."_

" _But… Business will slow down… I can't run the farm by myself…"_

" _Nonsense! You've always been great with our snail friends, they look up to you. Besides, you can always rely on your music if need be."_

" _But it'll be lonely… Nobody comes through any more…"_

" _What about the Prince, and the human? They travelled through here, surely they'll be back sometime."_

" _Well… I did ask the human for help with Undyne…"_

" _She's been sparring with Maddy much more often recently, I wonder what's the matter with her? Couldn't you go and talk to her?"_

" _Oh no… I barely know her… She might get mad…"_

 **Seeing as they're incorporeal, the ghosts are the only things that don't die when I end each timeline. They just… Exist. Floating between life and death, in purgatory. For the rest of time. Someone should just put them out of their misery. Especially that condescending excuse of a DJ.**

" _Of course she won't! It doesn't matter anyway, she can't harm you. I'm sure she wouldn't mind some company."_

" _Okay… I'll go see her."_

You saw Napstablook floating into the alcove, and they saw you. Stepping around the pond, you waved to them.

" _Hello… Would you like to see Undyne with me…?"_ Napstablook asked you.

You nodded your head, and gestured towards her house. It looked the same as it had before, a fish house for a fish lady. The faint sound of piano music echoed through the area.

" _Maddy! Hey…"_ Napstablook greeted the seemingly normal dummy that stood outside Undyne's house. It looked relatively passive.

" **Hey cousin! How's it…"** The dummy's eyes shifted to you, it frowned deeply. " **Who're you?"**

You told it your name, and that you're a human.

" **A HUMAN? YOU TRAPPED US ALL DOWN HERE! HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE!"** The dummy began to shake violently, sections of its body began to disassemble as it threw itself around. " **YOU ALL DESERVE TO BE TRAPPED DOWN HERE! NOT US!"** It shouted, as it brandished a pair of sharp knives.

Napstablook drifted between you and the dummy, hoping to prevent conflict. " _Maddy, calm down… Frisk didn't trap us down here… We sorta chose to live here; The barrier isn't blocking us… Because we're ghosts and all…"_

Napstablook's words had a pacifying effect on the dummy, as it recomposed itself. " **Fine! But stop calling me Maddy in front of people! It's embarrassing!"**

" _Sorry…"_ Napstablook apologised, and glided over to Undyne's front door. " _Could you please knock on the door? I don't have arms…"_ Napstablook's eyes lowered, sadly.

You stepped over and knocked on the door three times, perfectly. The piano music stopped, all of a sudden.

"That was an awesome knock." You heard a muffled pubescent voice through the door, yet it still retained her explosive demeanour.

The door flew open, revealing a teenage Undyne. She looked almost the same, with the exception of her height. She still wore her casual black tanktop.

"'Sup neighbour! Come 'ere!" Undyne shouted, as she advanced towards Napstablook.

" _I don't think you can…"_ Napstablook started, as Undyne's noogie hand passed through them.

She retracted her hand. "One of these days I'll become a ghost, then you'll get the noogie of a lifetime."

Napstablook looked uncertain. " _I don't think it works like that…"_

You coughed gently, interrupting them.

"Hey! I've seen you before…" Recognition flashed across her face.

"Yeah, you were in the throne room a few days ago!" She smirked. You recalled that she was with Asgore when you first visited the monarchs.

Undyne stepped back from the doorway and gestured the two of you inside. "Come on in, I was just about to make dinner!"

The idea of eating her cooking terrified you. Undyne and food tended to result in violent explosions. Then again, most things did with her.

 **She was your first challenge. Do you remember? The first one who didn't fall pitifully. The only one who rivalled her strength was Sans, though not in the way of HP and ATK. The one thing that I didn't like about killing her was that she droned on and on with that ridiculous 'heroic' speech. She can't save you, she's far too inexperienced in this timeline. The only one who has a chance is Sans; even then, it's too slim for you to rely on.**

 **Speaking of him, he's been a lot more proactive in this timeline. Maybe you've sparked something in him. But like me, even he's hiding something dark. He never told you about Gaster's little project, did he? Papyrus hides the same secret, it's just a lot harder to tease from him. Maybe you'll see it when I kill his brother.**

 **Ever wonder why they don't age? And no, it's not just because they're skeletons. They aren't natural monsters, no skeleton is. They're artificial.**

 **Gaster created them both, gave them life and purpose. To not just protect monsters, but the world. It's just that Sans takes his duties a lot more seriously than Papyrus. Next time you see him, ask about the badge and photographs.**

 **It's about time you learned the truth about them.**


	14. Madness

A/N: 100 follows! I didn't think I'd see a day where I broke triple figures for the junk that I write. 100 people chose to click a button to track this story. I wish I could thank you individually, but that would take quite a while to do. So, on behalf of my self esteem and emotional well-being, THANK YOU ALL! One last thing: I'd love some feedback on how you all think this story is going. PM me or leave a review detailing what you like, and what you don't like about this story. Chapter length? Typos, or grammatical errors? Any pointers you can give me would be appreciated immensely.

P.S. There will be no pairings in this story, either.

P.P.S. This isn't the penultimate chapter, don't worry.

* * *

First, the vegetables were diced. The noodles came next, placed gently in the pot of water. It was heated to the perfect temperature, and left to boil. Next, the non alcoholic wine was brandished. This was going to be the perfect dinner for three.

Only, it didn't exactly happen like that.

The vegetables had been smashed to juice, their liquified remains had been splattered on the wall and your clothes. It would take days to wash out. The water in the pot had evaporated, leaving a heavy cloud of steam to fill the room. The base of the metal pot had melted, sticking to the oven top. This was going about as well as you'd expect it to. Undyne's cooking abilities hadn't changed. If Chara had any more snide remarks to make, they weren't voicing them. You enjoyed the silence in your mind.

You thought about what Chara said. Surely Papyrus didn't share Sans' abilities; as the last time you battled him, he fell rather quickly. Unless, you just hadn't pushed him far enough.

"Alright, it's heated enough! Nap, turn the oven off!" Undyne shouted over the roaring flames that had manifested themselves.

" _But I can't… I don't have arms…"_

"Not with that attitude! Pull yourself together!" Undyne barked back.

Taking the initiative, you twisted the dial back to zero. Oddly enough, you could actually turn it off.

Undyne patted your back. "See, that's what we need! What we _don't_ need are quitters!" She gestured for you to sit at the dining table. "Anyway, you two are obviously here for something. What is it?"

You took a seat as Napstablook spoke up quietly. " _Um,_ _Maddy said that you've been more frustrated than usual…"_

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Undyne jumped up suddenly.

Napstablook recoiled, floating away from her. " _Oh no… I didn't mean it like that…"_

"Alright fine, I'll tell you. You'd better listen too, punk!" She pointed at you.

She looked down at her feet. "I can take on just about anything, so I went to Asgore's castle to show him my worth. Thing is, I can't beat him! He just takes my attacks and smiles! What kind of fighter does that?" She grabbed the molten pasta pot and hoisted it to the table. As she moved to grab a set of plates, the bottom of the pan burnt through the table, causing its contents to cover the floor beneath your feet. No article of your clothing was safe from this pasta extravaganza.

Noticing this, she swore under her breath. You couldn't make out what she said.

She turned back, a crazed glint in her eye. "Dinner. Is. Postponed."

" _I don't think I could eat it…"_ Napstablook stared at the flood of tomato sauce, with tears in their eyes.

"How old are you anyway, dude?" Undyne's mad expression faded as quickly as it showed itself. You were curious about this as well.

" _I don't remember… I stopped counting years ago…"_ Napstablook looked uncertain in their own answer.

"Well, were you always a ghost? Like, how are ghosts even born?" Undyne probed further.

" _Well, when two ghosts love each other very much…"_ Napstablook started. They wore a condescending expression.

They were interrupted. "Ew, that's gross! Aren't you all cousins or something!?'

Napstablook suddenly looked uncomfortable. " _It… It was only a joke Undyne… I've always been a ghost. I think Metty once told me that we're like empty vessels, ghost souls are slightly different to monster souls. Our sole purpose is to become corporeal by joining with an object. Metty wants become a robot, they have a friend that's designing them a body and everything… I don't want them to leave me…"_ Napstablook began crying, their tears mixed with the tomato sauce beneath them.

You stood up, and hugged Napstablook. Or you would have, if they were corporeal. Instead, you phased straight through them, and fell down.

" _Oh… Thank you… You may not be able to hug me, but I think there's something I can do…"_ Napstablook floated to you, close enough to be touching your skin. Their presence felt cool, and soothing. Suddenly, they moved further, phasing inside you. You felt something coil around your soul. They made you feel safe, and comfortable.

" _Humans look weird on the inside…"_ You heard a muffled voice inside you. They appeared next to you, as the presence disappeared. You gave them a sly wink. You'd definitely smooch a ghost.

" _Not feeling up to it right now, sorry."_ Napstablook rejected your advances.

Undyne's eye twitched slightly. "Seeing as we can't have dinner… How. About. Dessert?"

Napstablook floated close to the front door. " _I should really be going… I mean, if that's okay with you…"_

You stood up hastily, and stepped over to Napstablook. If she was going to make dessert, then the house would probably burn down again.

"Ugh, fine!" Undyne snapped, as she strode past you to the front door. She opened it, and shouted to the outside. "Mad Dummy! You'd better be ready, 'cos we're about to have the session of a lifetime!" She brandished one of her spears, and dived towards the dummy.

Napstablook turned to you. " _Thanks for coming today… It was nice seeing you and all…"_

You gave them a gleeful smile.

" _Do you… Want help getting back? To Snowdin, I mean…"_ Napstablook averted your gaze.

You positioned yourself to meet their eyes, and nodded.

" _Okay… Well, get ready…"_ Get ready for what?

They floated back to your soul, and developed it once more. Everything went black for a moment, and you felt yourself fading out of existence.

All of a sudden, you were met with the sight of Sans' illegal hotdog stand. He was applying ketchup to one of his 'dogs for Asriel. "ya can have it for free, prince."

"Aw, thanks Sans! You're the best." Asriel gleefully replied.

"no problem, kid. i've got a skele- _ton_ of 'em anyway." He winked at the goat.

" _I've got one… Um, you're really working these puns… Down to the bone…"_ Napstablook didn't look confident.

Nevertheless, Sans gave them a clap. "nice one, nap."

You asked Sans how he knew Napstablook.

"didn't ya know? i know everyone in the underground, ya know. huh. that's a lotta 'knows'. anyways, you want another 'dog, frisk? he's still followin' me around." Sans once again pulled Toby from behind the counter. The dog's fur was covered in mustard.

Asriel had a look of shock on his face. "Sans… Where do you get the meat for these hot dogs…?" He looked scared to ask.

Sans raised an invisible eyebrow. "huh? oh, they're water sausages. i'd never hurt this little guy." He scratched behind the dog's ears. Toby leapt onto the stand's counter, and proceeded to steal Asriel's 'dog.

"Hey! That's mine!" Asriel shouted gently.

Toby refused to listen, and jumped into Sans' hood. He hid in there, eating the stolen 'dog.

Sans was quick with the pun. "you've _goat_ to be kiddin' me." The dog whined in disapproval. The skeleton turned back to you, and watched your eyes carefully.

After several moments, he spoke up. "that expression… that's the expression of someone who wants to talk in private." He looked nervous.

You nodded in agreement. He nodded back, and snapped his fingers. Your mind went dark once again, reappearing in his lab.

Sans plucked the dog from his hoodie, and deployed him on the lab desk. "So, what's up?" He asked as he threw his lab coat on.

You asked him why he needed the coat.

He shrugged. "Makes me look science-y."

Reaching over to the desk's cabinet, you opened it and took the mysterious badge from it. He shoved his hands in his lab coat pockets, and nodded knowingly.

"Was only a matter a' time 'til you asked about this. I guess it's only fair that I answer, seeing as I know plenty about you. Enough with the space-time pranks."

As he blinked, his eyes disappeared.

"A long time ago, Gaster made me and Paps in his old lab. The reason why, is that we're supposed to be weapons. Now, seeing as a monster can't wield determination like a human can, Gaster found a way around it. He once told me that me and my brother were the remains of two humans. That's why we're skeletons, see? Humans have skeletons in 'em, if you didn't know. We aren't human enough to be humans, but that doesn't mean we're close enough to be monsters. The thing is, we're both DETERMINATION embodied. It's just that old Paps hasn't figured out how to use it yet."

He turned to stare straight at you.

" **And I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it out of him."**

You shook your head, and told him that it may be the only way to beat what was coming.

He closed his eyes. "Look, I get what you're trying to do, alright? You wanna atone for those sins of yours. But if Papyrus unleashes that hidden power, he won't know how to control it. And that's just as dangerous as the other anomaly that's out to get us."

You shook your head again. He didn't know Chara like you did.

"You sure about that? Remember back to when we fought; I know, it's not a pleasant memory. What if I told you…"

He opened his eyes again, revealing the familiar hollowed darkness. "... **That I was holding back on you?"**

You stared at him, shocked.

He flashed you a grin. "Trust me, kid. Let me deal with it. It won't know what hit it."

Only a small part of you felt relieved. The rest of you however, felt devoid of hope. There were still questions that you needed answered.

"Toby? He was made by Gaster, too. He's unique, in that he has mastery over space and time. Even more so than you and the anomaly. I don't know what Gaster wanted him to do, but I like his style." He petted the dog once more.

One more question.

"That badge is supposed to represent a secret society, that Gaster was a part of. Since he disappeared, they've disbanded. Well, except me and Paps. Wanna join?" He offered.

You nodded, eager to become a part of them.

"Welp, you've gotta pass the initiation. When you see Papyrus, give him this password." He beckoned you closer.

He whispered a phrase in your ear.

"Tell him that, and all will be revealed." Sans spoke cryptically. "Anyways, we should probably get back to it. Where do you wanna go, Tobes?" Sans turned to the annoying dog.

The dog barked playfully, beginning to vibrate slightly. After a few moments, the dog defied gravity and physics, passing through the solid wall. Never to be seen again.

Sans blinked, even he seemed surprised. " _Dog-gone_ it."

You let out a chuckle, and opened the door to the lab.

Funny… Everything had disappeared, leaving… Nothing? The world had faded, leaving nothing but darkness. Your stomach churned, you knew exactly what was happening.

Sans stepped out from behind you. He looked… Scared. " **Oh, God…"**

 **That's right. This time, it really IS me.**


	15. Precipice

A/N: So this is it. There will be an epilogue, depending on if enough of you want it. I'm still conflicted about a sequel. If I think of any ideas, I'll be sure to let you all know. Please leave a review on what you thought of this story, and I'll see you at the end of the chapter.

* * *

"welp. guess i'm not goin' to grillby's." Sans' initial shock was replaced with his usual mannerisms. He zipped up his hoodie, and patted you on the shoulder. He looked larger than usual. "looks like it's just me an' you, kid. don't look so worried, we got this." His left eye flashed a familiar blue.

You turned your head from side to side, looking for any other signs of life. There was nothing but the chilling voice that crept down your neck, taunting you.

 **I'll be there in a moment, once I've gathered your friends. I want this to be special.**

Only this time, it seemingly wasn't just inside your head. Sans flinched momentarily, but he shoved his hands in his pockets to cover it up.

You asked him if he was alright.

He glanced around awkwardly. "yeah, kid. why wouldn't i be?" He blinked. His eyes were featureless.

" **I just need a chat with this creep."**

As he spoke, the darkness surrounding you both churned, flashes of red lit up the void. Looking towards the source of it, you saw the silhouette of a monster.

" _Funny, isn't it? How you still think that you have a chance. Do you think Mr. Smiley there is going to save you? He may have put up a fight before, but even his attacks won't stop me now. Besides, he hates_ _ **you**_ _just as much as he hates_ _ **me.**_ "

Sans didn't let his trademark grin falter. "don't listen to 'em, kid. i know it wasn't you."

" _Is that what you_ _ **really**_ _think? Granted, every version of Frisk that has ever existed always had a trace of me inside them. But you'd be naive to think that I started them down this path. In fact, I hardly had to intervene. It was amusing to watch, but I eventually decided to stop them from backseat driving. This time was different, however. They decided to go back on their decision; to avoid consequences, and chose to reset. They had never done that before. Of course, the unique circumstance provided an equally unique outcome. They reset much further back than ever before. Don't you understand? Frisk here is the reason why everything is the way it is. Why there were so many timelines, and why we're all standing here right now. This is the final timeline. There is nothing left out there, except this limbo. I'll make you kill every friend you made, and you'll rot here with me for the rest of time."_

You didn't see anybody else except for them and Sans.

" _Of course, it's about time I let them loose. They require no introduction."_

Five consecutive flashes erupted before you. After the final flash, the dim red light remained, making it appear as if you were standing in a sea of blood. Five fallen friends stood before you.

Asgore, Toriel, Asriel, Papyrus and Undyne. Their faces had contorted to mirror the anomaly's facial expression. Their eyes glowed red, with large grins plastered on their faces. They had been corrupted.

" _We've reached the precipice of the world. When you both fall, humanity will have finally been extinguished. Monsters are just collateral damage, a necessary trade-off. Now then…"_

" _It's a dreadful day out here. Birds are gone, flowers are dead…_

 _On days like these, people like you…"_

Chara stepped forward menacingly, their trusty knife by their side.

" _Should be suffering with me-"_

Their megalomaniacal monologue was cut short by the sound of a soul hitting ground. Chara's skin took a familiar blue glow. Their expression was that of someone who knew what was coming.

" **Nah. Kids like you should be burning in hell. Alone."** Sans' eye was burning with magical energy. His right arm was outstretched, his left was in his pocket. The smell of bones filled the air.

Chara was slammed into the ground, a row of bones burst from underneath them. Even you knew this attack. A row of gaster blasters phased into existence behind them. They jumped over the beams of magic, and leapt towards Sans. Anticipating the attack, he sidestepped casually.

"try harder, freak. the only reason you killed me in the other timelines was because i fell asleep. wanna know somethin'? i'm not tired. **so** **you're gonna have a** **bad time.** "

You didn't know what you could do to help. Without your DETERMINATION, you were helpless against them. If Sans were to fall…

Your mind went dark for a moment. As it readjusted, Sans was standing closer to them. He began placing gaster blasters facing every direction. Chara feinted in several directions, trying to mislead Sans. Eventually, the laser onslaught hit them, full force. Their soul cracked, and shattered.

Only to be replaced with an identical red soul.

" _Confused? I don't just own one soul. I own_ _ **hundreds**_ _of them. Every time that Frisk offered me their soul in exchange for the world, I collected them. Saving them, for this moment. Even you can't beat me that many times, Smiley."_

Upon hearing this, Sans' grin widened.

" _Why are you still_ _ **smiling?**_ _You really are naive."_

Turning their attention to you, they threw the false souls towards you. You dodged the initial impacts, but the souls burst as they struck the ground. You felt part of yourself cracking each time one of them shattered. Chara's face twitched in excitement. Your HP quickly dwindled, and there was nothing you could do about it. Suddenly, the placebo souls froze in their tracks, locked in a cage of bones.

Sans winked at Chara, his left eye remained open. " **You're startin' to push me, pal. Soon enough, I'm gonna be forced to use my** **special attack** **. Don't make that mistake."**

" _Or what? You'll stand still and never take your turn? It's funny how you think that you're still in control."_

Chara summoned several more imposter souls, and began methodically slicing away at them. They crumbled to dust. As they were destroyed, you felt your vision darken. But you were still standing.

Even the anomaly looked surprised.

" _How are you still standing?"_

* * *

Frisk looked like death warmed up. They breathed shakily, their legs wobbled. They were teetering on the brink of life and death. It was only a matter of time before Sans stopped dodging.

He'd eventually lose the will to live. Seeing his friends possessed, alongside the only one who could stand with him.

 _You_ didn't want it to end this way.

 _You_ wanted a better ending.

 _With your determination, hope would never die._

* * *

You felt something resonating within your damaged soul. It reached out to you slowly.

You felt your DETERMINATION return. And with it, came your strength. Your will to live.

Your HP was fully restored.

Chara on the other hand, was not expecting this. They recoiled in shock, buying Sans enough time to impale them.

Once again, their soul cracked.

This time, there was no replacement. The only bones left were locked in Sans' cage. Chara knew this.

" _Wait, NO NO DON'T-"_

Sans snapped his fingers, and the cage collapsed in on itself. Every soul inside was crushed.

The fallen child dropped to their knees. Cautiously, you approached them. Their body's physical limits wavered. They were fading from existence.

" _Are you happy now? You're just going to kill me?"_

You admitted to contemplating it. They looked downwards into the void, refusing to meet your eyes.

" _I don't blame you. I've destroyed everything else. This is all that's left. It doesn't matter what happens now, I'll disappear forever."_ They looked up towards Sans.

" _But there's still something I can do."_

Chara grabbed their knife, and threw it towards Sans before either of you could react. He began to move, but wasn't fast enough.

 _ **1**_

He recoiled in pain, the knife was protruding from his stomach. Blood had begun to soak his jacket.

"heh. guess that's it, then. frisk, come here. there's somethin' you need to know, before i…" He spoke sadly, refusing to stop smiling.

Your limbs felt like dead weight. After everything that had happened… It was going to end like this?

You put your hand on his shoulder, and leaned your ear close to his mouth.

" _i got you good, nerd."_ He pushed you away gently, and unzipped his jacket. He stretched it open, to reveal his 'Ketchup Armour' which consisted of several ketchup bottles taped to the inside of his hoodie. It provided 99 DEF and 1 extra HP.

You laughed, part humour, part relief.

"whaddaya wanna do with this freak?" He pointed to the hopeless child.

You told him that you were still deciding.

Sans took the initiative, and grabbed Chara by the shirt. His empty eyesockets stared deeply into their red eyes. " **How about you give us our friends back?"** He let go of them, letting them fall back to the ground.

Weaponless and defenceless, they complied. " _Alright, alright."_

The grins on your friends' faces disappeared, their glowing red eyes dimmed. Papyrus was the first to realize where he was.

"WOWIE! WE'RE IN HELL! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET MR. SATAN." Papyrus exclaimed, his Battle Robe rattled loudly.

Toriel was next. Your eyes met hers, and she ran to you. Upon reaching you, she scooped you up in a hug. "Oh, my child! Are you alright? We all saw what happened."

As she ruffled your hair, she gave an angry glance to Sans. He backed away, slowly.

Up next, was Asgore. "Frisk! You did a fantastic job. When we leave this horrible place, I'll make us all a cup of tea."

Undyne was quick to run over and noogie you. It felt very uncomfortable. "Hey, punk! That was a good fight. I only wish I could have been there, I would have kicked their butt!" She grinned widely, displaying her trademark enthusiasm.

Papyrus was quick to scrutinize her. "BUT YOU CAN'T DODGE."

"Nah, but you don't need to dodge when you're as tough as me! I can take anything that gets thrown at me!"

Papyrus' right eye flashed orange. "EVEN THIS?"

Before Papyrus could launch his **special attack** , Sans dived to grab him.

"hey bro, whaddaya-"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT."

"call a-"

"YOUR KETCHUP ARMOUR WON'T PROTECT YOU FROM ME!"

"dumb skeleton?"

Papyrus resigned to his fate. Sighing, he asked. "WHAT?"

Sans grinned. "A _numbskull._ "

Papyrus screamed.

Finally, the last monster approached you. It was Asriel. "That was really creepy… Wait, where's our Chara?"

The anomaly shifted to look at him. " _Your Chara was replaced when I entered this timeline. There can't be two copies of the same person in a timeline. When I cease to exist, they'll be back. Only, they won't have any memory of what just happened. Please, treat them kindly. Don't let them make the same mistakes that I did. I'll be gone soon, so let me at least make it up to you."_

Your mind was shut off for a moment, everything became even darker than it was. After several tense moments, you opened your eyes to reveal the underground once more. You were all in Snowdin Town. Chara was gone.

* * *

Over time, everything returned to normal. Or, as normal as it could be. The monsters were still trapped underground. But with the king and queen's presence, hope still filled Mt. Ebott's residents. You finally got the ending you wanted, and it felt great.

Now you're probably wondering, who narrated this story? Well, the answer is simple. I won't 'tail' you, I'll let you figure it out.

* * *

A/N: This was a rollercoaster, wasn't it? This story has been the most successful one I've ever written, and that's including my previous deleted works. I never expected this kind of reception from the Undertale Fanfiction community, so on behalf of all of the work I've done on this story in the past month, thank you all so much. You can bet that this won't be the last thing I write that's Undertale related, so keep an eye out! This is A Resistor, signing off.


	16. Finale

A/N: Seeing as the ending was well received, and some people have asked for an epilogue, I decided: Why not? It's been a pleasure writing this story, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Also, I decided to do something different for this epilogue, I hope you like it.

* * *

Snowdin Town looked undisturbed, not a single monster or building was out of place. Which is good, seeing as I really don't like having to stitch the fabric of reality back together after all of these resets.

I was sat down, trying my hardest to blend with the snow. After what Sans had told Frisk, it was probably for the better that they didn't see me. They knew too much. Thankfully, the whole 'World is ending' fiasco was finally over. Unless of course, the child chose to reset once more. With the Legendary Artifact in its rightful place, I held the power. In a rather hasty decision, I bequeathed it to the human. I just hoped that they wouldn't abuse both their friends' trust, and mine. Sans would give them hell to pay if they did.

I heard their echoing voices from afar. "Now what? The barrier's still keeping us down here! We didn't gain _anything_ from this!" Undyne seethed.

"'course we did. a kid got dunked on." Sans' lazy, deep voice spoke up.

"IF THERE'S ANY DUNKING TO BE DONE, IT SHALL BE DONE BY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! MASTER BASKETEER!" My other friend's familiar loud voice rang out.

Of course, the skeleton brothers both knew of my duties. I just found it funnier to mess with the taller one. However, the both of them knew how important it was to not divulge any information about me. Even Sans' offhand comment could have ruined everything, and made me a target. Without me, resets wouldn't exist. Because, nothing would fix the rifts created by the paradox of one person simultaneously controlling each and every timeline.

But what do I know? I'm a dog. There are no timelines left other than this one, my duties were complete. I was confident in Frisk's restraint. Chara no longer resided inside them. No more sneering, taunting insults. No more death.

Unfortunately, one loose end remained. And it took the form of a rosy cheeked human, who was currently face down in the snow. I approached them cautiously. It was about time I revealed myself to the world. I barked loudly, to alert the others.

Frisk was the first to arrive. I stretched up on my hind legs, determined to nuzzle them. They caught glimpse of Chara, and called the others over. They formed a circle around the child, unsure of how to proceed.

Toriel was the first to dare, taking a step forward.

For the first time in an eternity, I spoke once more. "Don't go near them." I warned, "As long as Chara exists, in any form, they're a threat. I'm not going to risk them going full circle."

Before I could conjure up the power to kill them, Toriel intervened. "Please, don't hurt them! I'll take care of them, make sure that whatever it is that you're accusing them of will not happen. Please, you can't just kill a child!"

Her pleading words struck something in me. If I was having to relenquish my control and pass the responsibility to them, why not?

With the exception of the skeletons, they were all visibly shocked from my actions. Frisk was the second to try stepping forward. " _This cannot happen again. Ever._ " I growled, cautionarily. "I'm putting my faith in you, Frisk. Do not let me down. This is your last chance to put things to rest. If you get bored, or choose to become like them once again…"

" _ **I will kill you as many times as it takes. Got it?"**_ I adopted my most threatening voice. I think I got the message across, seeing as everyone, except Sans, looked terrified of me.

"Hey, lighten up guys. At least you got your happy ending, right Sans?"

"yeah, i guess. it wasn't the ending i had in mind, though." His smirk never wavered, as he pulled a bottle of ketchup from his hoodie.

"Well, it's the best that you'll get. Start treating it seriously." With that ominous threat, it was time to bid them a due.

"Right, it's time for me to go. I need to make sure the rest of the world's in working order. Maybe I'll see you all around." As I was talking, I realized that I forgot something.

Seeing as this was presumably the final timeline, it was only right that they got the ending they truly deserved.

"Before I forget, there's something I have to do. Remember the barrier? Well, the former royal scientist gave me a secondary purpose. Only to be carried out when I stabilised everything, ya know? If the timeline that I chose to settle down in, either by choice or the fact that this is the last one, the barrier was still up, Gaster told me to break it. But only as a last resort, because my powers? They'll be gone. All that will be left is a talking dog. Do you understand how much trust I'm putting in you, Frisk? If you go against me here, _everything that has ever existed will be destroyed. And there won't be any solutions to bring it back. Determination can't bring you back to a world that doesn't, and technically never has, existed. But if somehow, by some miracle, this world does return, I'll make your every moment a living hell. I'm not confined by physical limits, so I'll hunt you anywhere you go."_

I pointed a paw at Frisk. "So if I do this, I _need_ you to promise me something. Promise me, that this is the last time. Promise me that you'll live out your life naturally, no more resets. Give me your word, and I'll use what power I have left to destroy the barrier."

They stepped forward once more, and scratched me behind the ears.

"I promise, Toby."


End file.
